BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

 P. D. Agarwal B. E., AMIMA, MSEG, FIE (India)

Expectations from a manager

Concept of human relations

Motivating forces

Better human relationship practices

Manager's Conduct

Psycho-techniques in management

Sixth Sense

Summary

INTRODUCTION  When the intricacies of project management, for that matter of any breed of management, are examined intimately, it would be distinguishable that “Management is primarily a human process”. The aims of the management can be achieved only if there is willing cooperation and reciprocal collaboration within the team. Given that an organization is staffed adequately with competent and proficient personnel, but it may not be possible to achieve the goal if commensurate concern is lacking. There should be a desire among the staff to work at high level of efficiency to get the results. The objective of the management should, therefore, be to ensure that the team members have an earnest inclination to work. It should be a determined deference of the management to ensure that the workers are motivated to perform optimally. The passage to objective passes through the slick avenue of congenial relationship and affable understanding between the  team and the management. Various studies in behavioral science have connoted that working environment at workplace plays a very important, rather vital, role regarding the efficiency and achievement of the workers. If there are competent behavioral scientists in the organization it shall be possible to acquire competence in behavioral science. Now in management institutes behavioral science is on the curriculum and a manager is supposed to be an adroit in human science. It is widely observed that almost entire competence of a manager is subservient in a way to human relations. The greatest deficiency in managerial competence , many a times, is the lack of understanding and appreciation of the  ways in which ‘ human beings’ interacts with other ‘human beings’ individually or in a group. It should be understood without any ambiguity that a person may behave normally at individual level while he or she might behave differently or strangely when he or she is in a group.  A meek and submissive individual may acquire an aggressive posture when he is in the group.  Therefore the manager should not expect all the time a set pattern of behavior from the members of his team.

 The manager should avoid creation of any misunderstanding within the team or with the management.  It has often been observed that misunderstanding in public or private life or in business is primarily due to impulsive and irrational behavior of either of the party, even if such behavior might be of a very trivial nature.  Another cause of misunderstanding may be lack of proper or adequate communication between the management and the team. It is not important that what was the spirit behind what has been said or done, the important is in what spirit the other party has received it. Through a well established communication system the misunderstandings could be removed  before it acquires a menacing proportion.  For example, if a tiny grievance is allowed to grow in a member or in the group for quite some time, it may manifest into a big one resulting in misbehavior or misconduct.  There are reported incidents when a group of workers assaulted the manager physically on a seemingly insignificant issue.  On close examination it was found that a certain grievance of the staff was brewing for quite some time which was not addressed timely.   Although it was a pure case of misunderstanding but in the absence of any proper communication, the staff was instigated to consider the silence of the management as an act of disregard to them. Under such circumstances when an opportunity came across to them to ventilate that grievance they chose a hostile and an indecent way.

           Of course nobody can be perfect in this imperfect world, but a little grooming in the province of psychology and sociology can improve matters to a great extent. The attempt here is to warn a potential manager against the danger of falling prey unawares to the undercurrents of unpleasantness and hostility .